Work Holder

ABSTRACT

A work holder which is adapted to hold a workpiece firmly in place for machining operations with respect to a machine tool. The workpiece is fashioned with a dovetail protuberance, which protuberance is designed to affix the workpiece to the work holder to the machining operations. Once the machining is completed, the dovetail protuberance may be removed in any convenient manner. Thus, the finished product may not then exhibit the former protuberance.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The applicants claim the benefit of their provisional patent application, Ser. No. 61/110,810, filed Nov. 3, 2008.

REFERENCE REGARDING FEDERAL SPONSORSHIP

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX

Not Applicable

SUMMARY

The work holder is an intermediary dovetail fixture, which is adapted to hold a workpiece firmly in place for machining operations with respect to a machine tool, for example, a 5-axis vertical machining center, e.g, see www.matsuura.co.jp. The workpiece is fashioned with a dovetail protuberance, which protuberance is designed to affix the workpiece to the work holder prior to the machining operations. Once the machining is completed, the dovetail protuberance is removed in any convenient manner, such as by being ground away. Thus, the finished product will not exhibit the former protuberance.

DRAWINGS

The attached illustrations depict the work holder, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a workpiece secured to the work holder;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section of the mechanism taken along section line 2-2 of FIG. 1, by which the workpiece is secured to the work holder;

FIG. 3 depicts a perspective view of the work holder having a slot which is formed in its upper surface and which, at its opposed sides, has a slanted or dovetail side wall and a 90° trifurcated straight-up side wall;

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-section of the work holder in perspective;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the work holder also depicting the slot with its slanted dovetail side wall and its 90° trifurcated straight-up side wall;

FIG. 6 is a view of the work holder taken 90° with respect to that shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a cross-section of the work holder taken along section line 7-7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a top view of the work holder as previously shown;

FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the work holder;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the work holder taken along section line 10-10 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 a side view of one of the housings of the clamps used in the work holder used to grip the dovetail of the workpiece;

FIG. 12 is a side view of the swing clamp housing shown in FIG. 11, but turned 90° therefrom;

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the clamp housing taken along section line 13-13 of FIG. 12; and

FIG. 14 is an end view of the clamp illustrated in FIGS. 11-13.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

While the present invention is described herein with reference to illustrative embodiments for particular applications, it should be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Those having ordinary skill in the art and access to the teachings provided herein will recognize additional modifications, applications, and embodiments within the scope thereof and additional fields in which the present invention would be of significant utility.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a work holder or support 30 is designed to firmly support, hold and grip a workpiece 32. As further shown in FIGS. 3-5 and 7, work holder is formed with a partial dovetail slot 34 having a bottom surface 36, a slanted side 38 that forms a dovetail and a trifurcated straight-up side 40, that is, side 40 is formed with a pair of openings 42. Side 38 is slanted at an angle which is less than 90° with respect to bottom surface 36 while straight-up side 40 is generally 90° to the bottom surface, although this orthogonal inclination is not critical, in that the trifurcation of side 40 (see also FIG. 6) provides openings 42 for embracing a pair of clamps, e.g., hook clamps 48. While the central section of side 40 is illustrated as wider than its outer sides, this need not be so.

Workpiece 32 is formed with an integral protuberance or projection 44 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) that is formed as shaped on the workpiece when it is fabricated. On its opposed edges, protuberance 44 is provided with a pair of dovetail sides 46 a and 46 b. Dovetail side 46 a is disposed to contact slanted side 38 of dovetail slot 34 while dovetail side 46 b is positioned adjacent to but spaced from trifurcated straight-up side 40 and openings 42 for reasons to be presently discussed also with reference to FIGS. 11-14 in conjunction specifically with FIG. 2.

Accordingly, a pair of clamps 48 (as modified from a generic form) are disposed to reside within respective bores 49 in work holder 30. Each clamp includes a housing 50 (see FIGS. 2 and 11-14) and a screw 52 having an enlarged head 54 (see also FIG. 2), in which an Allen head wrench opening 56 is disposed, and a shank 58. Shank 58 has a threaded end 60 for engagement with threaded openings 62 in work holder 30.

As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 13, clamp 50 includes a tubular stem 63, and a recess 64 is shaped in each clamp housing 50 to provide a shoulder 66. A corresponding shoulder 68, which terminates bore 49, faces clamp housing shoulder 66. Springs 70 are fitted about shank 58 of screw 50 and respectively abut at their ends against shoulders 66 and 68. Housing 50 is also provided with a head 78 at one end of tubular stem 63. An extension 72 (see FIGS. 12 and 14) extends from head 78 and includes a slanted surface 74 which is adapted to engage dovetail side 46 b of workpiece protuberance 44 (see also FIG. 2). Slanted surface 74 in part differentiates clamps 48 from the generic, e.g., hook clamp form. Head 78, terminating shank 63, further has an opening 80 for retention of screw head 54 and defines a flat bearing surface 81.

In operation, as each screw 52 is threaded into threaded opening 62, against the bias of spring 70, each enlarged head 54 of each screw 52 bears against its respective surface 81 on housing 50. This movement causes slanted surfaces 74 of the respective housings to move within and to be guided by openings 42 and to engage dovetail side 46 b on protuberance 44 as well as to press opposite protuberance dovetail side 46 a of workpiece 32 against dovetail slanted side 38. As a consequence, protuberance 44 is affixed to work holder 30 and workpiece 32, through its protuberance 44, are secured into a fixed engagement to and within work holder 30.

A machine screw 76 (see FIG. 3) may be placed in within surface 36 of slot 34 to act as a positioning stop for the workpiece.

After all machining operations are completed on the workpiece, screws 52 are unscrewed to permit the workpiece to be released from the work holder. Protuberance 44 may be then machined away and accordingly removed from the workpiece.

Thus, the present invention has been described herein with reference to a particular embodiment for a particular application. Those having ordinary skill in the art and access to the present teachings will recognize additional modifications, applications and embodiments within the scope thereof.

It is therefore intended by the appended claims to cover any and all such applications, modifications and embodiments within the scope of the present invention. 

1. A device designed to firmly hold and grip a workpiece comprising: a work holder formed with a bore and a partial dovetail slot; said partial dovetail slot having a bottom surface, a slanted side that forms a dovetail and a straight-up side; said straight-up side formed with a pair of threaded openings; said bore having a terminal shoulder; said workpiece being formed with an integral protuberance; said protuberance being provided with a first dovetail side and a second dovetail side; said first dovetail side being disposed to contact said slanted side of said dovetail slot; said second dovetail side being positioned adjacent to but spaced from said straight-up side and said openings; a hook clamp residing within said bore in said work holder; said hook clamp including a housing and a screw having a threaded shank and an enlarged head; said threaded shank adapted to engage with threaded openings in said work holder; said hook clamp including a recess to provide a corresponding shoulder which faces said terminal; a spring fitted about said shank and respectively abuts at its end against terminal shoulder and corresponding shoulder; an extension extending from said enlarged head and including a slanted second surface which is adapted to engage said dovetail side of said workpiece protuberance; and said housing further including a head having an opening for retention of said enlarged head.
 2. A device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a machine screw placed in said slot to act as a positioning stop for said workpiece.
 3. A device designed to firmly hold and grip an item comprising: a securing component associated with the item; and a support provided with a surface for supporting the item, said support having a fixed part and at least one moveable part engageable with said securing component associated with the item, whereby said moveable part is adapted to engage said securing component and thus, through said securing component, to hold and grip the item to said support.
 4. The device according to claim 3 wherein said support includes opposed first and second sides bounding said surface, in which said first of said sides forms said fixed part and said second side includes at least one guide for guiding said at least one said moveable part; said securing component comprises a protuberance having a first side engageable with said first of said sides, and a second side positioned adjacent to said second of said sides and engageable with said moveable part.
 5. The device according to claim 4 wherein said movable part comprises at least one clamp slidable within said guide.
 6. The device according to claim 4 wherein said guide comprises a plurality of guides and said movable part comprises a plurality of clamps slidable respectively within said plurality of guides.
 7. The device according to claim 3 wherein: said at least one moveable part comprises a plurality of moveable parts; said support includes opposed first and second sides bounding said surface, in which said first of said sides forms said fixed part and said second side is furcated to form a plurality of guides for guiding an equal number of said moveable parts; and said securing component comprises a protuberance having a first side engageable with said first of said support sides, and a second side positioned adjacent said second of said support sides and engageable with said moveable parts.
 8. The device according to claim 7 wherein: said first and second sides of said protuberance are respectively dovetailed to form opposed dovetail slanted sides; said first of said support sides is dovetailed to form a dovetail slanted side for engagement with said protuberance first dovetailed side; and said plurality of moveable parts are individually configured for engagement with said protuberance second dovetailed side.
 9. The device according to claim 8 wherein said support second furcated side is generally normally disposed with respect to said support surface.
 10. The device according to claim 8 wherein: said support includes bores which are positioned adjacent to said surface and which have threaded ends, and a shoulder within said bore; said clamp mechanism includes a housing having a tubular stem, a recess disposed within said stem, a head and a shoulder positioned at opposed ends of said stem and facing said bore shoulder, an extension extending from said head, and a screw having a shank with an enlarged head and a threaded end at opposed ends thereof, and a spring fitted about said shank and respectively abutted against said bore and housing shoulders.
 11. The device according to claim 10 wherein a slanted surface is placed on said extension and said screw head is provided with a tool engagement part. 